84 The Canary Book. 



for five minutes and allowed to cool mixed with a small 

 quantity of finely-grated biscuit (pic-nics answer very well, but 

 any kind of biscuits containing sugar will do equally well) 

 moistened with a little water to soften it, and stirred well 

 together with the point of a knife to a thin consistency. Get 

 a quill and cut it in form similar to a pen, only not quite so 

 sharp at the point; hold the young bird in the left hand in 

 such a manner as to render the most support to its head and 

 neck, and proceed to feed it with the above food. Give a 

 small portion at first, which may be gradually increased daily. 

 This operation should be repeated every fifteen or twenty 

 minutes, from daylight to dusk in the evening. When the 

 birds are three days old they ought to be able to receive food 

 from their parents without further assistance ; if not, there 

 is but a slender chance of their being reared. The great 

 objection to this mode of treatment is the danger there is of 

 making a hen jealous, which would prevent her from feeding 

 them when they are ready for her attentions. Nevertheless, 

 it is the only chance they have, and they are sure to perish 

 without artificial aid. If any one should be induced to con- 

 tinue this process until the birds are sufficiently matured to 

 feed themselves, I can only say that his perseverance will 

 merit any reward that the birds are likely to bestow, however 

 good they may ultimately turn out to be. Of course, in such 

 an event a little seed would be required with the egg and 

 biscuit after the birds are six days old; and it would be 

 necessary to have it thoroughly well crushed and the husks 

 removed a pestle and mortar, which has been previously well 

 washed and dried, or even a paste pin, in an emergency, 

 would do for this purpose. Canary-seed answers best, and 

 occasionally a few groats and a little maw-seed may be added, 

 or hemp-seed sparingly. As the birds advance in size they 

 will not need to be fed so often, but regularly, and at intervals 

 of, say, fifteen, twenty, five-and-twenty, and thirty minutes. 



AVIARY BREEDING. Breeding birds in aviaries and in 

 rooms without cages is a pastime enjoyed by some people, and 

 answers very well for dealers who breed for profit, or for 



